Various types of surgical drapes have been used to keep a surgical site on a patient sterile during a surgical procedure. Disposable drapes are sometimes employed and typically include a nonwoven paper or fabric that forms a substantial part of the disposable drape. A reinforcement area is often placed around a fenestration to provide structural strength and/or to absorb bodily fluids from the surgical site.
Certain surgical procedures involve large amounts of fluid, for example blood or saline irrigation fluid, at the point of surgery. In order to remove unwanted fluid, towels, suctioning devices, surgical sponges, and other fluid management devices are sometimes employed. Additionally, surgical drapes are sometimes provided with a plastic trough, pouch, or other device, which is configured to allow fluid to be transported from the point of surgery to a more remote area of the surgical drape. Wherein, the excess fluid may be contained within a pouch or other member capable of containing the excess fluid, and may be subsequently disposed.
Surgical drapes have also been designed in order to maintain surgical instruments thereon that are used during a surgical procedure. For instance, a plurality of binding strips of material may be attached to the upper surface of the drape and include a hook and loop type fastener in order to engage and retain one or more surgical devices. Designs of this type require the surgeon to manipulate the device in order to remove and attach the surgical instruments therefrom.
The present invention provides for an improved surgical drape that allows for channeling of fluid on the surgical drape, retention or collection of fluid, securement of instruments on the surgical drape, cushioning for the patient and/or healthcare provider during surgery, and/or helping to define inlet openings in pouches, pockets, sleeves, and the like.